I discovered these words scribbled in chalk on a door while visiting a very poor community during a recent mission trip. It’s a statement that’s stuck with me as I’ve visited other communities and saw the quality of education (or lack thereof).

One particular community that’s near and dear to my heart is in the Pétionville-area, just outside of Port-au-Prince. It’s where Pastor Gaetan runs the Yahve Shamma orphanage…

…and shepherds a local church…

…and runs a small school (now in a tented structure) where the 30 orphans he cares for and another 120 kids in the community come to learn.

It’s a special place. And when I say special, I mean sacred.

You can sense the Spirit of God when you walk these grounds. You can sense the dedication Pastor Gaetan and the teachers in the school have for building up a strong next generation. You can sense the hope for Haiti in the children when they look you in the eye and tell you, “Don’t be sad. It’ll be okay.”

When our Help One Now Bloggers team was recently in Haiti, it didn’t take long for us to realize that if Haiti could be saved, then it would need to be saved from within. There’s nothing we can do to swoop down and make everything better, nor should it be that way.

That’s why our team decided that if we’re going to leave a legacy, then it would need to be in a way that would empower Haiti. Empowering Haiti to transform her own future would be critical to any plan or project that we take on.

That’s why we’re building a school.

It’s a big project with an even bigger impact. Consider this…

150 children in the area will have a real school to attend

The parents of the children will have the hope of a better future for their children

12 teachers will have a job

30 builders will have work through this project

Local merchants who sell supplies for the building project will have income

Food vendors will have income generated from builders who can now buy food for their families

A project like this provides instantaneous stimulation for the local economy, and it means that children will get the education they need to possibly move on to college and secure good jobs in the future.

Help Us Tell the Story

This whole project started with a group of storytellers sitting in a place where we were moved by the stories that surrounded us. Stories can make a big difference, and your story can help move the needle in the fight against poverty. Here are some ways that you can get involved:

Share this story, talk about this project and why you think it’s important

If you have questions or need resources to help you tell your story, then let me know. I know people who can make things happen. It’s my goal to help empower you to use your voice to make a difference.

And if you write a story pointing people back to this project, then share the link in the Linky Tools widget below. And if you’re super ambitious, then feel free to grab the widget code and embed it on your post(s). I’m expecting that there will be some amazing stories shared while we empower Haiti and transform a community.

Dillon Burroughs

DILLON BURROUGHS is an author, activist, and cofounder of Activist Faith. Dillon served in Haiti following the epic 2010 earthquake and has investigated modern slavery in the US and internationally. His books include "Undefending Christianity," "Not in My Town" (with Charles J. Powell), and "Thirst No More" (October 2011). Discover more at DillonBurroughs.org.